


OK

by theprodigypenguin



Series: Steadfast [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Auror Partners, Auror accident, Auror!James, Aurors, Blood, Blood and Injury, Comfort, Dittany, Established Relationship, Fever, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hospitals, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Injury, Lupin Clinic for the Lycanthrope-Afflicted Witch or Wizard, M/M, Magical Creatures, Metamorphmagus, Mild Gore, Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter), No Sex, No Smut, Oops, Post Hogwarts, Rogue Werewolves, Tanner Willer (OC), Unspeakables (Harry Potter), Werewolf, Werewolf Pack, Whump, clinic, field auror, he's a fuckass, it's a thing damn it, james gets hurt, james sirius potter x teddy lupin, jeddy, lupin clinic, magical beasts, mauling, oof he get hurt, partial werewolf, red caps, silver - Freeform, silver and dittany, smooches, soft, voldemort - Freeform, werewolf clinic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-11-14 16:16:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18055838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprodigypenguin/pseuds/theprodigypenguin
Summary: An Auror mission gone awry proves just how essential having a specialized clinic for Lycanthrope-Afflicted witches and wizards is.





	OK

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Werewolf + Injury  
> (from that huge group of completely useless single word prompts from the list of prompts, from the "unknown" prompter, and I'm calling them useless because I'm actually the one who sent in those dumbass single word prompts because this was my first fest and I had no clue wtf I was doing and when I saw the super detailed prompts I was just like "oh, oh I was supposed to so something else" so I apologize to everyone for my pointless attempt and worthless existence, enjoy this crap)
> 
> Title inspired by the song “OK” by Robin Shulz and James Blunt. This is actually a prompt I entered and I just ended up writing it, because I have a solid headcanon that I’m absolutely obsessed with and I just needed the excuse to write it. The fic is definitely angsty, but there are of course fun parts. Thank you to @writersummer and @valryon for beta-ing this fic! This was my first long fic and I was super uneasy about it, but I'm super happy you were both so willing to help me.

James had been hurt many times before in his twenty-two years of life, for a colorful handful of reasons. He'd fallen out of trees he was climbing, slipped off his broom during training or even during an important Quidditch match, and he'd gotten mundane paper cuts and broken his wrist after tripping and falling down the stairs at his home, later breaking his leg while falling down the stairs at school. He'd had his heart broken before, he'd cried before, he'd gotten bloody noses and busted lips, bruised knuckles and black eyes, in his years at school followed by his work as an Auror, but nothing had ever felt like this before.

In sixth year, when Madeleine Milward slapped him and scratched his cheek with her nails when he said no to a date because his heart belonged to someone else, it had been easily healed and left no scarring. This... Merlin... this was nothing he could possibly describe. He'd never felt anything like it before. Like living fire was burning over him, through his veins, a hot iron stabbed through his shoulder and twisted.  
  
It hurt so much he couldn't breathe or scream. He thought he'd screamed earlier, for just a moment, but then the pain had really consumed him and he'd fallen, right cheek pressed into the grass and the dirt. Blood was seeping into the earth around him, he was overwhelmed by the disturbing blend of scents—cut grass, rain, iron and wet dog—vision blurry from pain, or maybe tears, as he tried to move anything at all. A hand, a finger, anything.  
  
The most his body did was twitch and jolt as pain wracked through him, making small noises that choked out of his throat. The pain was deep in his gut, in his chest and his lungs, coursing through him like blood and making every nerve scream. Just from a scratch. One good scratch.  
  
From where he was lying, unable to move, he could just barely see his partner scrambling on his hands and knees with panic in his blue eyes, snatching his wand off the ground when he'd found it and raising to his full height, trembling furiously as he turned to face what they'd been attacked by. The fear turned to panic, something like resignation and defeat, then he looked over at James, and James knew with that one look that his partner was giving up. There was a crack, and James choked as the other Auror disapparated away, leaving him bleeding out on the ground.  
  
James pondered through a painful haze how this had happened. In his years working as an Auror, he'd never slipped up even once. Oh sure, he'd broken his nose in a fight, gotten hit by a few simple curses during duels, but nothing that ever put him down so quickly like this had. Up until a few months ago, however, his partner at the Ministry had been Teddy Lupin. James only had a vague idea as to why his father and Aunt Hermione suddenly pulled Teddy from the front lines as a top Auror and started dragging him around on different kinds of missions.  
  
Teddy said the work was stimulating, he was enjoying it, though he did miss getting into messes with James, who only liked the change because whenever he got back he was able to see the worry on Teddy's face, hidden behind his smile as he looked James over from head to toe, searching for an injury or any sign of discomfort or pain. His hands would go all over James after a day in the field, and he wouldn't let go until he'd inspected every inch. He wasn't with James on his missions any longer after all, so he always worried more than he used to, because what would he do if James got hurt and Teddy wasn't there to help?  
  
The new partner Harry had assigned to James was a newly graduated wizard, eager to prove himself and do good in the world, or so he claimed. His name was Tanner Willer, and he'd been a Hufflepuff in the same year as James, but joined the Aurors a bit later, so he needed guidance. James was willing, but Teddy didn't like it. Maybe he was jealous, maybe he was possessive, James still didn't know, but it was almost like Teddy had seen this abandonment before anyone else had. James wouldn't even be surprised. Teddy was that kind of person, the kind who just knew things through unclear feelings and incomplete thoughts. He knew things in certainty with just the most basic of information.  
  
"He's from your house, Teds," James had tried to reassure him, smiling brightly. "What could go wrong?"  
  
So much. So much could go wrong. Things could go wrong in the most dramatic and drastic ways, and James could have laughed just to spite himself and how stupid he was as he laid there. He never even saw it, how cowardly that idiot was. Being afraid was well and good, but... but James was afraid too, and he just... just left?  
  
James didn't like being afraid, feeling unsafe, but he was, and he did, and he couldn't stop shaking, which just made the pain worse, tears forcing their way out of his eyes as two people brandishing wands trampled over the spot where Willer had disappeared.  
  
"Bloody— Fuck! Now we have to move!" the man was hollering, rough cut and wearing clothes no better than rags, covered in layers of dirt, eyes wild and rimmed red and hair a mess, nails long and unkempt and teeth yellow.  
  
The rest of his small group looked about the same. Wild, dirty, unmanicured, wearing rags and waving old wands. Remnants of a war regime taken up by dark creatures, once upon a time convinced to join the wrong side of the wizarding world. Remnants of a group who fought for Voldemort.  
  
The Ministry knew they existed, they knew there were small, minuscule groups of dark wizards, Death Eaters, and magical beasts who managed to escape arrest, death, and conviction, hiding so deep in the shadows that they'd started to become them. It was pitiful, because James hadn't even been looking for them. His mission had been so simple, to investigate a band of Red Caps that had been terrorizing Muggle and magical beings alike.  
  
Now he was facedown in the dirt with the burn of werewolf claws stinging his back, as his attackers scrambled to figure out what to do.  
  
"Aurors! They'll be back!"  
  
"That one went for back up! We have to go!"  
  
"If that Harry Potter shows up we'll all be killed! Hurry!"  
  
"What about _him?"_  
  
All attention went to James, whose half open eyes barely focused on a girl near the front. The one who'd attacked him and put her sharpened nails through his skin. Her eyes were mossy and wide in alarm, face narrow and pale with dots of freckles and deep scars running down her face. Her brown hair was frizzy and overgrown around her head, and she was covered in dirt. She couldn't have been much older than James in fact, and under all that mess, she was likely very beautiful.  
  
James knew from experience that witches and wizards afflicted with Lycanthropy weren't inherently evil, so all he could do was feel pity for this girl despite how he was hurting from her. Teddy would have wanted to help her, James knew. He wanted to reach out and help her too, but he couldn't move, and the others around her jostled her back and forth trying to get her to do something useful.  
  
"Finish him off, Ava! You're the one who clawed him, so he's your responsibility!"  
  
"I- I- I-."  
  
"Forget it! She's weak!" a man pushed her aside and strode towards James, who felt his breath hitch in his throat as he reached him, digging a foot under him and kicking him to roll over.  
  
James instantly protested, back arching as his damaged shoulder dug into the dirt, screaming horribly as the heel of that same boot came down on his shoulder. It hurt, Merlin, so fucking bad. Black tinged the fringes of his vision as the images in front of him swam wildly, and he gasped for breath that just wouldn't come to him.  
  
"I'll kill him myself..." the man hissed, wild eyes dark in malice and blood lust, James was terrified he'd drop down and just rip out his throat with his teeth like a barbarian.  
  
James didn't want to die. Not yet. Certainly not like this. He didn't hate werewolves, held no prejudice against them. He was dating Teddy after all. That just made it illogical for him to hate werewolves. Teddy was the biggest advocate for the equality of Lycanthropy-afflicted witches and wizards in the entire wizarding community. He volunteered at the clinic named for his father every weekend, even through some holidays, and was better at mixing the Wolfsbane potion than some of the more prominent potion makers in the world.  
  
This... a werewolf attacking James... could very well twist Teddy's views, and if he found James dead, mutilated... No, that couldn't happen. James didn't want to die at all, and most of all, he didn't want to hurt Teddy. So, for Teddy, even if he was scared, James mustered his courage and spoke through the burn in his throat. The voice that left his mouth didn't even sound like him.  
  
"You don't want to kill me, mate," he shook out as a warning, and the werewolf above him glared.  
  
"No? Why not?"  
  
"Pocket, my..." Pain, James gasped for breath, tried to talk again, "My front pocket, in my... cloak... my cloak..."  
  
He could taste blood, but had no idea where it was coming from, and panted hard as the werewolf removed his foot from his shoulder, opting to crouch and search through James' robes, pulling out a black leather rectangle that resembled to a Muggle wallet. Inside was where he kept his Ministry ID, where his profile was next to a list of identifiers as well as his name.  
  
James Sirius Potter II, hazel eyes, brown hair, this tall and weighs this much, born on this day, and this is his Auror position. There was a little red Gryffindor crest stamped onto it as well, but it was his name he hoped would have the most impact. If not to scare them away, then to at least distract them a moment. Maybe help would come. Maybe Willer would come through in the end and actually bring help. Maybe. James just hoped he brought someone with more than a little knowledge of werewolf maulings, because if James wasn't treated soon, he was going to bleed out before the inevitable fever could even settle into his skin.  
  
"Potter," the werewolf above him snarled and backed away like James was poisonous. "You! You're his!"  
  
James couldn't even roll his head to agree with a nod or choke out a yes, swallowing the iron on his tongue and pinching his eyes shut. He tried to distract himself: if he lived through this then at least he wouldn't be a full werewolf, he'd be just like his uncle Bill, and uncle Bill was the coolest guy ever.  
  
"Kill him, rip him apart," the same gruff voice snarled the order. "Let Harry Potter find his son torn to shreds. A little piece of revenge, finally," he stood over James, "for Greyback."  
  
That certainly wasn't a good battle cry...  
  
There was a crack, then another, and the wolves scattered while shrieking or crying, but the wolf above James just snarled and lifted his wand up, eyes alight in madness.  
  
_"Avada-!"_ _  
_ _  
_ _"Stupefy!"_  
  
A light hit the back of the wizard's head and his eyes rolled back as he started to fall forward. He would have crushed James if—  
  
_"Mobilicorpus!"_  
  
The werewolf was thrown to the side none too gently, and James managed to roll his head to see more than a dozen familiar Aurors flooding the area and cornering werewolves, chasing after the ones who'd retreated to the woods beyond.  
  
This stupid mission was about Red Caps...  
  
"James!" He inhaled sharply at the voice, before its owner dropped to his knees beside James, hands hovering as panic took over his features. "Oh Merlin. Oh no, no, Jamie."  
  
"Teddy...?"  
  
"It's me, I'm right here," Teddy assured, a hand coming to cup James' cheek. "Hell, you're already burning. Give me a moment, love, I need to..." He started fumbling with the bag strapped to his thigh, pulling out a silver vial and bandages. "I'm so sorry, so sorry, but this is going to sting a lot."  
  
James could only manage a pathetic nod as Teddy slipped an arm under his shoulders, bringing out a horrible groan of pain as the older Auror rolled him onto his right side so he could reach the bloody left shoulder that James couldn't quite feel at the moment. Teddy wasn't subtle as he took the shirt and robes in his hands and tore them apart without even a bit of magic, and James certainly felt when he started to drop the dittany and silver into his wounds.  
  
James hissed and buried his face in Teddy's lap as Teddy quietly cooed comfort to him, using a bandage to pat away the blood, dripping more of the healing blend into the gashes that had been clawed from James' shoulder down his shoulder blade to the middle of his back.  
  
"I'm here, Jamie, it's okay now. You're gonna be fine."  
  
"Lupin, we've got most of them rounded up. What's his condition?" James recognized the voice, one of his coworkers, but his mind was a mess and he couldn't figure out who was speaking.  
  
He couldn't recognize anyone else besides Teddy.  
  
"Bit? Don't tell me he was bitten?"  
  
"Even if he had been, it's not the full moon!" Teddy snapped in agitation. "Finish rounding them up. I want to know what the hell happened! You find Willer and you get him in a room. You bloody lock him in until I can get my hands on him!"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"What about Potter?"  
  
"I have him," Teddy said, a bit gentler as he pressed cloth against the deep gashes in James' back. "I'm bringing him to the clinic for treatment. The fever's already setting in. One of you get to the Minister of Magic and the Head of Magical Law Enforcement. Tell them what happened and tell them where we are. Now!"  
  
Several cracks were heard as the Aurors rushed to obey. James wasn't surprised. Teddy was gentle and understanding most days, it took a lot to make him mad or upset, but it did happen. Luckily, thanks to his hair's tendency to change color if he got notably pissed off, most people had good warning when to stay away. James was able to get a look at Teddy once he'd finished applying the dittany and silver, returning the vial to the pouch on his thigh and pulling off his cloak to wrap it around James and collect his weakened form into his arms, rising to his feet.  
  
His hair was an impossible shade of dark red, like blood. He was mad, furious, but the ridiculously dark tinge to it showed not just anger, but despair, horror and stress. James, of course, felt the need to comfort him, though he couldn't exactly move much.  
  
"Ted... Teddy... I'm okay." He managed a grin, but it tasted like blood, and Teddy's heart broke through his eyes, holding James closer.  
  
"Don't talk, stupid. I'm bringing you to the clinic. Can you hold on to me?"  
  
James hesitated, but his left arm just wouldn't move from where it was lying over his stomach. It felt heavy, paralyzed, and he shook.  
  
"M-my arm won't move. I can't... Teddy..."  
  
"Okay, okay, just, just hang on, God, just close your eyes, okay? This will make you dizzy. You may throw up."  
  
James laughed, burying his face in Teddy's neck, shaking furiously from pain and fear. "I'm okay. I'm okay."  
  
"Yea, you're gonna be fine, just fine. I've got you now."  
  
James did vomit, vision doing somersaults as he twisted in Teddy's arms and threw up ungodly amounts of blood and undigested coffee shop sandwiches he'd snagged on his way to the mission to hunt down fucking Red Caps. The clean tile of the  Lupin Clinic for the Lycanthropy-Afflicted Witch or Wizard was stained red, and all James could do was let his head hang as nurses came scrambling to help.  
  
It was probably a sight, their biggest supporter and only son of the clinic's inspiration cradling Harry Potter's oldest son in their lobby. No questions were asked as a witch transfigured a stretcher and directed Teddy to lay James onto it as two more set about cleaning the blood from the ground with quick flicks of their wands.  
  
Teddy stayed by the stretcher, and not a single person complained. Normally the parent, spouse, or friend would be pulled aside to a waiting room, but Teddy had as much, if not more experience with these things than the medical witches and wizards that worked there. He held James' hand and kept the other on his good shoulder as he was brought to the back, soothing him with soft words to keep him calm as the healers rushed to bandage the wounds properly and prepare medicine.  
  
James was astounded he hadn't just blacked out yet, but maybe unconsciousness would have been too kind. Clearly some force wanted him to suffer. He didn't even have the strength to squeeze Teddy's fingers back to show he was okay, so he just settled on the reality he wasn't okay. At all. In fact he'd never been this _not okay_ in his entire life. If it was this terrible to receive a mere scratch from a werewolf, what kind of torture did someone actually bitten go through? James had a newfound sense of empathy for them.  
  
Everything happened in a blur. There were healers surrounding him one moment, then suddenly he was set up in a bed, the room lit very dimly and pillows surrounding him. He was tired, his body felt heavy, he couldn't feel his arm, and he was still shaking, still felt that ache of fear.  
  
"Ted," he called in a whisper, "Teddy. Te—"  
  
"I'm here, I'm here." A hand landed on his shoulder, and James gave a shaky exhale, eyes closing.  
  
"Tired."  
  
"I know, I know, but drink this first, okay?"  
  
The cold lip of a bottle touched his bottom lip, but James couldn't find the energy to open his mouth, so it disappeared. There was silence, until he felt a gentle hand on his chin, mouth tugged open, warm lips covering his own. A very unconventional method of getting a sick patient to take their medicine, by dumping it into your own mouth and kissing it into the patient's mouth, feeding it to them bit by bit until they'd swallowed it all. It worked, though, and James appreciated the method for its comfort.  
  
James loved kissing Teddy after all, even if this latest one tasted gross, minty and sharp from the medicine. His lips were warm, and warmth meant security.  
  
"Hate you if you do that again," James whined, and Teddy laughed, lips pressing to James' sweaty forehead.  
  
"I know, I'm sorry," he apologized again. He'd been apologizing a lot the past few hours.  
  
Had it been hours? James couldn't even tell, he was so out of it. He didn't think Harry or the rest of his family was there yet, so it was likely it hadn't been much time between being found and now, unless the nurses were forcing the Potters to stay in the waiting room. They weren't there in that room right now, James knew that, because Teddy wasn't one to just kiss James in front of Harry.  
  
It wasn't like their relationship was a secret, in fact James had a suspicion that their relationship was the biggest reason Harry pulled them apart, because they “distracted” each other during missions. Which wasn't true. Teddy and James worked great together and closed more cases than a great majority of the others in the office. Ever since the change, James had barely closed one, because Tanner Willer just wouldn't pull his fucking weight. Now this had to happen. Maybe Harry would consider giving him back Teddy?  
  
James wanted to move his arms, to hold Teddy, kiss him again, but he couldn't feel his left arm and his right kept shaking, barely able to lift a few inches. Teddy took his hand and squeezed, leaning closer to James.  
  
"Please stop trying to move. You're a mess right now, you need rest. The fever's already too high, the wounds were deep, you lost a lot of blood—"  
  
"Just," James breathed, "wanna touch you."  
  
Teddy's eyes seemed to shatter, and he lifted James' hand, pressing palm to cheek and leaning into James' touch, eyes pinching closed, and red bleeding from his hair to leave an ashy gray. James managed to move his thumb, rub the pad of it under Teddy's eye, smiling, because Teddy was warm. He felt safe. James was safe now.  
  
"Sleep," Teddy urged, and James felt his eyes flutter, suddenly cast into a consuming but peaceful void of black.  
  
Teddy exhaled and squeezed James' hand once he was sure the younger Auror was asleep, pressing lips to his palm, fingers and wrist before carefully lying his arm against the bed and pressing the backs of his fingers against James' forehead.  
  
His fever was impossibly high, and while Teddy had seen it dozens of times in victims of werewolf maulings, it was different now. This wasn't just some stranger that Teddy felt obligated to help due to his strong sense of empathy and responsibility to protect every last witch and wizard who ever suffered as his father had.  
  
This was James. This was the boy he grew up with, the young man he fell so hopelessly in love with after ages of mutual pining and hiding their feelings from fear of rejection or retaliation from Harry. _What would he think,_ Teddy would worry, _if I told him I fancied his oldest son? Would he abandon me? Would they both abandon me?_  
  
In the end he stopped caring if Harry would hate him, because his entire world revolved around James. He would protect this man to the ends of the earth, whether Harry liked it or not. Teddy adored his godfather, but James... James was a different kind of love that Teddy clung to, worshipped. He'd loved before, dated before, but nothing like this. Nothing so entirely consuming as this.  
  
Now James was bedridden, with claws cutting scars through his back, skin pale and clammy, face flush with fever, body still shaking, and Teddy couldn't decide who he hated more for doing this. Whose fault was it?  
  
Harry, for forcing them apart, forcing James to get a new partner?  
  
Hermione, for approving the change?  
  
Tanner Willer, for being an incompetent sack of shit and abandoning James when James would have fought an army for anyone?  
  
The wizard who'd been standing over James with a death curse on his tongue?  
  
The werewolf who'd stuck her filthy nails into him in the first place?  
  
James, for letting his guard down around Willer?  
  
Himself? For not being there, not fighting Hermione's choice, not yelling at Harry sooner about his clear unease with them dating?  
  
He understood that James was Harry's son, and very important to him, but this... Teddy would have never let this happen to him. He would've taken the claws himself, he would've taken the bite, so James could avoid it.  
  
James suddenly looked so small and helpless, tucked into the bed and covered in sheets, so unlike his energetic and impatient self.

Teddy had insisted he be given this room, one of the better rooms in the very back of the clinic. The walls weren't as horribly white and the lights were dimmer, the bed softer and the blankets thicker. Maybe Teddy was biased, but he just wanted James comfortable.  
  
He rubbed the tears from his eyes when he heard the footsteps. His hearing was impeccable and managed to pick up the thuds of shoes hitting tile when they were still at the end of the hall (silent tip of the hat to dad). The door was opened a little too harshly and a panic stricken Harry entered the room, eyes wide behind his glasses and face pale. Ginny was just behind him, hands clinging to Harry's arm more to push him forward rather than to hold him for comfort. She didn't seem to have the patience for Harry to stand there in a state of shock.  
  
She pushed around him and hurried over to the bed to see her son clearly, inhaling a shaky, wet breath as she set a trembling hand into James' messy hair, stroking her fingers through it as Teddy stood up reluctantly, letting her take his seat on the bed beside James.  
  
"What's his condition?" Harry asked roughly, and Teddy swallowed, standing at the foot of the bed, not removing his eyes from James.  
  
"Four scratches," he started to explain, pointing to his own left shoulder, "from his left shoulder down his back. Fever set in before we got to him. It won't be an easy recovery."  
  
"He'll be okay though, right?"  
  
Teddy whipped his head to the side to see Lily had come with them, still decked in her Quidditch robes and watching Teddy eagerly. That must have been what took them a while to get there, because they were contacting Lily.  
  
"After his fever has broken and he's all healed up, he'll be back to normal," Teddy assured, using a confident voice that almost, almost made him believe it. "He wasn't bitten, and there was no full moon, so the wolf wasn't transformed when they clawed him. That means he's just Partial. He'll like his meat a little rarer than he used to, but other than that there won't be any changes. It'll be like your uncle Bill."  
  
Lily's nose wrinkled. "Okay, but if he starts eating raw bacon in front of me like uncle Bill does I'm gonna throw up."  
  
She strode over to stand next to her mother and look over James for herself, worry creasing her features, and Teddy gave a shaky breath again, turning to watch Harry enter the room, closing the door only part way.  
  
"It might be good to contact Bill about this," Teddy offered. "He could help with the transition. Have you contacted Al?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Hermione sent him a letter for me. He'll probably be here soon."  
  
The two stood in silence for a while, watching the girls look over James. Ginny idly pulled the covers higher and checked the sling that was holding his left arm against his body to avoid further damage to his back.  
  
"He looks horrible," Harry whispered, and Teddy shut his eyes so he wouldn't be tempted to agree (or counter saying James was still beautiful, which would probably start an entirely different fight). "How could this happen?"  
  
Teddy wanted to scoff. How did Harry think? Maybe it was his refusal to accept Teddy and James in a relationship. Or the fact he so brilliantly removed Teddy from the field Aurors, effectively giving James a new and utterly incompetent replacement partner that was a sorry excuse for an Auror even without this bit of failure. Maybe if Harry had just stuffed a foot in his mouth and left them alone, just let them love each other without giving them both that fucking look, then maybe this wouldn't have happened.  
  
_Don't say that, Teddy, you stupid fuck,_ he cursed to himself, glaring at the ground.  
  
This wasn't Harry's fault. It just happened. It was just a freak accident.  
  
"Teddy I can see your hair changing, I'm not an idiot," Harry said, and Teddy went rigid, lips pressed in a tight line as he swallowed hard.  
  
"Willer left him," Teddy said in a dead voice. "He showed up ragged at the Ministry, stumbling and yelling about werewolves. When I asked him where James was he said James told him to run while he still could, so Willer did. Only you'd think, wouldn't you, that if he'd left on his senior's orders, he would've been first to volunteer to return with reinforcements. Right?"  
  
"...he didn't."  
  
"He left as soon as he told us what happened." Teddy swallowed again, pinching his eyes closed as they started to burn. "We're just lucky we knew where James and Willer had gone on their mission. A second later... a second later and..."  
  
"We're lucky Willer was there," Harry said, and Teddy jerked his head up to gape at him, to see he was watching James in heavy relief. "If Willer hadn't of gone for reinforcements—"  
  
"Lucky? You just said we were lucky to have Willer with James? He abandoned James! He left him to die!"  
  
"You don't know that's what happened."  
  
"Have you not heard a word I just said?!"  
  
"I heard you say Tanner Willer showed up terrified at the Ministry telling you rogue werewolves attacked them," Harry said, turning to Teddy. "That sounds to me like James offered to hold them off while Willer got help. Every way you look at it, James is the more experienced Auror, he would've been the only one capable of—"  
  
"And if they had time to discuss this plan, why didn't they both just apparate together to tell the Ministry what was happening and fight another day, with larger numbers? Why did James so heroically throw himself in harm's way for a partner he's only known for five months and has only caused problems within the office? James is a good person, but he's not an idiot! If there had been a chance of getting out, he would've taken it. No. Willer ditched him when he was already down, it was a sneak attack."  
  
"How are you sure? Did James say what happened?"  
  
"Hm, no I don't think he did, you see he was too busy writhing on the ground in pain to tell me the fickle details of his mauling, and frankly I was more interested in getting him here than interrogating him, but by all means let's wake him up now and ask!"  
  
"Teddy!" Ginny snapped, but Teddy was well beyond listening as his hair slowly faded to a bright, aggressive red with every sarcastic word he spat.  
  
He hated getting angry, especially angry at Harry, but he just couldn't help it. His emotions were always so out of control, he always felt things a hundred times more _fiercely_ when it involved James; he just loved him too much.  
  
Harry took it in stride, at least. "If the theory is true, then my statement still stands. If James went down first in a sneak attack prompted by rogue werewolves, then it would have left Willer defenseless. He would've had no chance against them without James, so leaving to get help, even without James ordering it, was the best bet either of them had for survival."  
  
"What about James, then? If you partnered him with Willer as a shield for the newbie, then who was supposed to look after and defend James?"  
  
"James is skilled enough to—"  
  
"Harry, look at him!" Teddy waved towards James. "He's been attacked by a werewolf! He's a Partial now! Your son! A few days of difference and he could've been fully turned! Don't you get it?!"  
  
"I get it, Ted, but it you're saying he's not skilled—"  
  
"He would've been fine with a different partner!" Teddy snarled. "Hell, he would've been fine on his own! If you had chosen anyone but Willer! I never would've let this happen to him!"  
  
Harry looked pained at that. "Teddy, this wasn't your fault."  
  
The anger coursing through him felt like poison. "No, you're right, it wasn't," and he didn't say it, but he didn't have to.  
  
Harry's expression twisted into a blend of disbelief and rage, but before he could yell at Teddy, the door was shoved open hard enough to swing and bang against the inner wall. Teddy didn't know if he was grateful for the intrusion or not, tearing his eyes away from Harry's to look at who'd entered, not feeling all that surprised to see it was Albus.  
  
He looked disheveled, his hair a complete mess, like he'd been woken up from a good dream and hopped on over without a shower. In fact Teddy was willing to bet galleons that's what happened, because Albus smelt like sweat, smoke, and brimstone.  
  
"Did… did you apparate here?" Teddy asked, and Albus' eyes snapped to him.  
  
"Went to uncle Bill first. Figured I'd get there faster than an owl. Then I came here. He's coming later with Aunt Fleur as soon as we tell him James is awake." He stepped into the room and shut the door, eyes catching Teddy again. "Who lit you on fire, mate? Tone it down a bit, we're all equally pissed off here."  
  
Teddy blinked before turning away and glancing at his reflection in the window across the room, which showed his brilliant red hair glaring back at him. He tried to calm down, taking slow breaths in and shutting his eyes, because getting mad and fighting wasn't going to do anyone any good. Especially if the fight was with Harry, who was sceptical enough of Teddy's affections for James without him blowing up like this.  
  
Once he'd relaxed, he focused on changing his hair color, but only managed to switch it to a muted tawny that he tried to avoid in most cases. This was his father's hair after all, the hair he had when he was born. Looking closer in the window, Teddy realized even his eyes had changed to that of his original color, his father's. Why did he have to do that? Look like Remus?  
  
"I'm sorry," he kept his back to Harry, dropping his head and burying a hand into his brown hair. "I didn't mean to imply anything by that. I just... there was so much blood, and seeing him like that, I thought..."  
  
A hand squeezed his shoulder, and he turned expecting to see Harry, but it was Albus who'd taken the initiative to comfort him and shield his hair from the others in the room, knowing well how much Teddy hated walking around looking like his father.  
  
Not because he hated his father, but because every time he saw his reflection, he felt lonely. Because Harry and Andromeda gave him broken smiles whenever they saw him. Because Lyall would hold his face between shaking hands and choke out how similar he was to Remus. Because even Kingsley would get a painfully nostalgic look on his face whenever he caught a glimpse of Teddy with his father's hair and eyes.  
  
People who didn't even know him would see him like this and say he looked just like his father, even people who hadn't known his father, people who had only seen pictures, people who would murmur about werewolves behind their hands but smile to Teddy's face about his father's award, and did he have it on him, could they see it (to prove it was real, he imagined, because there was no way a werewolf would actually have been awarded the OoM: First Class).  
  
Granted, Teddy did like looking similar to Remus, it was something special connecting him to his father that he could have forever, but having it pointed out so often got extremely tiring. The only person who didn't seem to care was James, and really that just added on to the reasons why Teddy loved him so much.  
  
Teddy would ask him sometimes, because James always had different answers, "Do you think I look like my dad?"  
  
James would glance at him, "Yea, but he's way cuter than you."  
  
"Your nose is a bit bigger than his was."  
  
"I can't really tell, your hair is bright pink."  
  
The answer he loved the most, though, was when James would put a hand over Teddy's eyes, "You look like Teddy. Stop worrying so much."  
  
Teddy needed that now. He needed James to wake up and reassure him he wasn't going completely insane, because sometimes Teddy didn't even recognize himself. Being a metamorphmagus was fun and had its advantages, but Teddy didn't even know what he looked like anymore, or what he was supposed to look like, or if he even had his own face.  
  
He scuffed his shoes against the ground as he walked over and dropped himself into a chair beside James' bed, burying his face into his hands to hide as much of himself as he could, so he didn't have to see Ginny staring at him and remembering her old Professor.  
  
"No more fighting," she said after a moment. "No one could have foreseen this or planned for it. Being an Auror is dangerous business where accidents can happen. We're lucky, and we should be grateful because he's alive. Hear me, Teddy? He is alive, and that is what's important."  
  
Teddy nodded, because he appreciated that she was trying to help him feel better, but he didn't raise his face from his hands. He just didn't want anyone to see him, not until he could concentrate enough to fix his hair back to the turquoise blue he always showed off. The blue that James always said made him love the ocean more every day.  
  
"Your hair is bluer than the sky," James would say sometimes, hands buried through the blue locks. "You're the ocean in a single human. Sorry, half human half werewolf." Then he would snicker at his joke.  
  
They were there for a while. Healers would come in every few hours to check James' fever and ease vials of tonic and medicinal potion down his throat without waking him. More chairs were brought in for Ginny, Lily, Albus and Harry. After a few hours, Bill showed up, explaining that he was worried and didn't want to wait for the owl saying James was awake. He brought a couch into the room with a sharp flick of his wand, insisting Ginny lie down, which she did very reluctantly, her head on Harry's lap as Bill took her seat beside James.  
  
Teddy had kept his face buried in his hands the entire time, only looking up when healers came in to watch them treat James, quickly hiding his face again once they'd gone. In the hours that had passed his hair had gone from brown to gray, but he still couldn't seem to lift his face up. He felt ashamed for yelling at Harry, who hadn't spoken a word to him since Albus had shown up. No apology would fix it, after blaming Harry so obviously for his own son being in this position, for implying that somehow in Teddy's stupid head, he thought he loved James more than Harry.  
  
Bill spent half the time there trying to reassure Ginny and Lily that James would be okay. "It took me a long time to recover," he explained, a finger tracing one of the scars on his face, "but I managed it because I had mum and dad, all my siblings, and I had Fleur." His smile was fond and filled with adoration. "She helped me through a lot, from the moments I felt truly helpless and didn't think I could talk to my family. It was good to have her there, to have someone outside my family who loved me unconditionally with no reservations."  
  
Teddy didn't see it, but Bill's eyes met Harry's, then flickered over to where Teddy had his face buried against the edge of the mattress, then back at Harry, whose lips seemed to sink into a deeper frown as Bill smiled at Lily sitting next to him.  
  
"He's gonna eat raw meat isn't he?" she asked, and Bill grinned, still handsome against his scars.  
  
"Oh yea. Sushi can fake it sometimes, and it's more socially acceptable to eat sushi in public, so you might offer that alternative to him. I don't recommend pulling out a raw steak whenever he wishes, and I'd avoid processed meat, it'll make him sick. The scars will hurt sometimes, I get headaches from mine on occasion, and considering the position of the mauling, he might lose the ability to use his left arm for a while. He'll have to retrain himself to use it."  
  
"He'll still be able to though, right?" Ginny asked, sitting in a chair in front of Bill, looking at James and reaching out to hold his hand.  
  
"If he's stubborn and sticks with it, taking things slow and working hard, he should be back to normal in a few months." He smiled at Lily again. "It's not an end game for him any more than it was for me. He can go back to his work as an Auror and be proud of his scars."  
  
"I'm really glad you came," Ginny sighed, and Bill reached out to take the hand not clinging to her son's fingers.  
  
"Course I came, sis."  
  
"Have you told anyone else what happened?" Albus asked curiously, and Bill shook his head.  
  
"I didn't want to worry anyone. From what I understand, Hermione, Fleur and I are the only ones who know the details. Ron knows James got hurt, but doesn't know the extent. I didn't want to scare Louis, Freddie, or Hugo. Merlin knows how mad Fred would be, trying to hunt the wolf down himself for revenge. Rosie definitely knows something serious is up. I think Fleur was going to tell Vic before I came. Dom doesn't know, Roxie doesn't know. Mum and dad don't know, but Perce and George know he's in hospital."  
  
"I let uncle Charlie know before I came," Albus said, digging in his bag and pulling out a twisted, wrinkled root. "He told me to give this to James after cleaning and skinning it. Said chewing it would help stay the pain from the scars and curve any cravings for things like meat until he could eat solid foods?"  
  
"Excellent." Bill clapped a hand onto Albus' shoulder. "Lucky we have more than one beast expert in the family."  
  
Albus' lips actually started to turn up at the corners when Bill said that.  
  
Throughout the day, the Weasleys and Potters comforted each other, and by the time the sun was setting, Lily was making jokes about bacon and Harry was flipping through a sushi catalogue (where he got it was a mystery). Teddy, though, did not share in their revel. He stayed where he was, head on the mattress, turned to watch James. This was different for him, after all. The rest of them didn't understand.  
  
The absolutely gut wrenching, petrifying feeling of terror at seeing a man standing above James with a wand lifted and sparking green light. The panic of getting him off only to find James already hurt, bleeding out, red so thick on the ground that Teddy could see it staining the grass. They didn't have to roll James over despite the yelps of pain and tear open his robes to see deep, grotesque gashes splitting apart his skin and seeping blood, so much blood.  
  
They just didn't get it, and they would never understand it, even if they had been there, because it was different for Teddy. He didn't care for James as a brother or a son or a nephew, but loved him as his one and only, the only one more precious to him than anyone else.  
  
Teddy didn't sleep. It must have been midnight when he lifted his head to find the others unconscious. Ginny and Harry were on the couch with Lily, Albus had found a pillow and blanket and was curled up on the floor next to them, and Bill was still sitting in the chair across from Teddy on James' right side, arms folded and chin on his chest, snoring softly.  
  
Teddy looked to James, just to ensure he was still there, reaching out and feeling his forehead with the backs of his fingers. The fever hadn't broken yet, his face was still flushed, so Teddy opted to stay awake and watch over him, just in case his fever got worse or he woke up. Gratefully, he didn't. He slept through the night, and Teddy was actually beginning to nod off when everyone else started to wake up. So, of course, he stayed awake as well.  
  
The one and only time he left his boyfriend's bedside was to get himself a cup of burnt coffee from the staff room, because he was losing energy to stay awake, and the adrenaline seeping out of him made him feel heavy.  
  
The staff didn't complain when he shuffled into the room; being a Lupin had its advantages, and one of them was being allowed to wander the Lupin Clinic freely. Kingsley Shacklebolt had built the clinic in honor of Remus' memory and sacrifice, and when Teddy turned eighteen he signed a contract alongside Kingsley that stated in the event of his death, the entire Clinic would go to Teddy. It was his right, Kingsley said. For now, they co-owned it, so of course the staff that worked there wouldn't complain when Teddy did what he wanted.  
  
He downed the first cup of coffee in seconds, asking one of the healers how everything was going as he poured himself a second cup, sharing small talk about potions and supplies they needed while he drank that one, and carrying out a third cup that he held between his teeth as he pulled a pad of paper from his pocket to scribble down all the things the clinic was low on. It was a good distraction, being able to focus on something other than how miserable and guilty he felt about James' situation, but his thoughts about not having enough pillows in the emergency wards faded as he shouldered open the door back to James' room.  
  
His eyes lifted and clashed with bright hazel that was watching him from the bed, an ethereal blend of chocolate, gold, and amber, and the paper coffee cup fell out from where he'd been biting it to hit the ground and spill the black contents over the tile.  
  
"Jamie! James, you're awa—"  
  
He took a step forward, into the spilt coffee, and slipped, crashing onto his back with a grunt as Albus and Lily burst into laughter, Bill choking back his own amusement and James snickering loudly, though he sounded concerned when he spoke.  
  
"Are you okay? Did you hit your head?"  
  
"James, sweetie, stay in bed," Ginny said quickly, almost frantic, and Teddy struggled to push himself onto his elbows to see James attempting to push the covers and sheets away, trying to get out of bed to help Teddy.  
  
"I'm fine, stay there." Teddy scrambled to his feet, slipping a little in the puddle and stumbling onto drier tile as he yanked out his wand, vanishing the mess before pointing the tip to himself and drying his clothes.  
  
He could feel his face heating, see the pink of his bangs hanging in his eyes, but managed to change the shade back to the gray it had been for the past few hours before turning to the bed where James had leaned back against the pillows and was pouting at Ginny as she fussed about, pulling the blankets back over him and reaching for his shoulder but quickly retracting her hand, afraid of hurting him.  
  
"He woke up like four minutes ago," Lily told Teddy as she leaned against the foot of the bed. "You missed it. He started mumbling for you."  
  
James was the one who flushed at that, kicking his foot up at her, though it didn't reach and was covered by the sheets and comforter.  
  
"Sorry, I— coffee, I had to— coffee—" Teddy stuttered over his explanation, his heart going stone before starting to crack.  
  
He should've been there when James woke up, he should have fucking been there. James had been so scared the day before, shaking so much, but Teddy said he was there and everything was okay. Then he wasn't there. He made James wake up without him, all for a few cups of fucking coffee.  
  
"Teddy, have you slept?" James asked, and Teddy blinked a few times, not realizing his vision was blurring.  
  
"I did," he lied, and James gave him an incredulous look before turning to glance at Albus, of all people.  
  
Albus met his eye and pushed off the wall he'd been leaning against, pulling that root from the night before out of his bag and holding it up.  
  
"I'm going to go have a nurse look at this thing and fix it up. You're supposed to chew it, James."  
  
"Uh, why?"  
  
"I don't know, ask uncle Charlie. Dad, where are the nurses? Or healers? I've never been in this clinic before."  
  
"Just down the hall," Harry pointed, and Albus twisted his lips up in a scowl.  
  
"Which direction? Can you be more specific?"  
  
"Go left, then right, you'll see a set of double doors—"  
  
"Fuck it. I'm just gonna wander till I find someone."  
  
"Al, don't, this clinic is dangerous if you don't know where you're— For Merlin's sake." Harry scrambled off the couch and followed Albus, who'd strutted right out the door without listening to his father.  
  
No surprise there. Teddy could hear Harry scolding him down the hall.  
  
"Albus Severus, you need to listen to my directions. This isn't a playground and you're not a child. The wizards and witches here are sick, and if you just go about wandering willy nilly you could get hurt and end up in a bed next to your brother as a Partial—"  
  
Teddy shook his head and turned back to see Ginny was standing. "I need to write to Hermione since Harry is busy," she sighed. "I shouldn't be long. Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, mum," James insisted, looking to Bill as he reached out to squeeze his good shoulder.  
  
"He's a tough kid, Gin, he can take a few minutes or hours without you. I need to write Fleur myself, so I'll come with you. The owlery is just in town."  
  
"Can I come?" Lily hopped after them. "I need to write my captain to tell her I left practice for family business."  
  
"Sure, Lils."  
  
"Take care of James, Teddy!" The youngest Potter waved as she followed her mother and uncle out the door, which she closed behind her.  
  
The room now silent and empty aside from he and James, Teddy turned, just in time to watch the eldest Potter child slowly sink deeper into the pillows, his face which had been so bright and awake before now yellow and white like parchment.  
  
"Jamie," Teddy strode over to the bed as James made a noise.  
  
"I'm just... I just feel weird."  
  
"It's your body adjusting to... you know, to the infection," Teddy sat down on the edge of the bed on James' right. "Your system has to work through it."  
  
"Is it bad?" James' voice was shaky, but the way he cleared his throat once he'd finished showed he was struggling to contain how truly frightened he was.  
  
"It could have been worse," Teddy said honestly. "You were only mauled, but if you'd been bitten the infection would have been more severe. Thank Merlin it happened in the morning, and thank Merlin it wasn't even close to the full moon."  
  
"Yea," James nodded numbly. "Yea."  
  
"Healers have been coming in regularly to check on you, but they say you'll be alright. You need to rest. You're going to be bedridden while your body works through the infection and tries to adjust to the Partial blood."  
  
"Right." James reached over with his right hand to feel his left shoulder, nose wrinkling in a wince.  
  
"Jamie, I—" Teddy stopped himself, but hesitated when James turned his eyes to him. "James, I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry this happened. If-if I'd been faster, maybe if I'd paid more attention. I knew you were going on a Red Cap mission, but I should've— I should've—"  
  
"Teddy, what the hell are you talking about?" James asked. "How can you possibly think this was your fault?"  
  
"Well I—I just— I didn't—"  
  
"You didn't do anything, Teds. You didn't do this to me. It was a freak accident. We wandered into their territory and they took us by surprise. We didn't even notice them sneaking behind us. All I remember is looking for signs of Red Caps, and suddenly I was on the ground. It happened too fast, Teddy; no one could have known it would happen."  
  
"It's not fair," Teddy breathed shakily. "Why you? You don't deserve this, this kind of suffering." He reached out, sliding closer, his hand brushing over James' shoulder but not quite touching it. "I can't stand it. I'm so pissed off. Willer, that bloody..." He was so angry he couldn't even finish that statement, and James squinted as Teddy's hair rapidly grew red in his fury.  
  
He reached up with his right hand to hold Teddy's cheek, coaxing Teddy’s eyes up to meet James’ as the younger Auror managed a smile.  
  
"Look on the bright side," he offered. "You're half werewolf. Now I am too. Together we make one whole werewolf."  
  
Teddy looked baffled. "I don't..."  
  
James rolled his eyes. "Godric's sake, Tedward. I'm saying we're clearly soul mates. It was written in the stars long before we were born, we were always meant to be. We're two halves of a whole. I mean I'm pretty sure we always were, but now it's way more obvious."  
  
Teddy just found himself smiling shakily, craning forward to press their foreheads together, laughing airily. "Jamie, you... even like this you're making stupid jokes."  
  
"Being your soulmate isn't a joke, is it?"  
  
"Well, your father certainly seems to think it is."  
  
"My father is so dense, the only reason he ended up with mum is because she practically beat his face in with a sign that said _I love you_ ."  
  
"Did she really?"  
  
"No, but would you blame her if she had?"  
  
Teddy snorted and chuckled, and James smiled, running the fingers of his right hand through Teddy's hair as it slowly began to morph into that familiar, beautiful turquoise.  
  
"That's better," James hummed, twisting pieces of hair around his fingers. "I was wondering where you went, Teddy. Just now there was this really old guy on my bed. Looked like you, but his hair was all gray and red. Glad you're back, though."  
  
"Some old guy with graying red hair," Teddy repeated, playing along just to keep the smile on James' face. "Sounds suspicious. Should I look into it?"  
  
"Nah." James had his thumb at the edge of Teddy's smile. "Let him go. Stay here."  
  
"Yea, I'll stay here..."  
  
The kiss was more pleasant than it had been the night before when Teddy had fed medicine into James' mouth. Their chins knocked together as their lips slotted against each other, James keeping his right hand in place, pressing into Teddy's jaw, while Teddy kept one hand gently on his boyfriend's uninjured shoulder, the other behind his head, fingers buried into his hair and cupping the back of his neck.  
  
It was warm and slow and gentle, and somewhere in the back of his mind, Teddy thought to pull away before Harry came in and caught them, but he couldn't seem to stop. James' lips were warm and slightly chapped, but that didn't make the kiss any less enjoyable. Even when something salty and wet caught between their lips, and Teddy broke away when he realized they were tears.  
  
"Ja—"  
  
"I'm fine," James choked, rubbing at his eyes. "I'm okay, really, I just— I'm just..."  
  
"Hey," Teddy whispered and cupped both hands on either side of James' face. "Jamie, it's okay. Don't keep yourself from crying. I get it."  
  
James inhaled sharply, eyes swimming with tears. "I'm okay now, I really am, I just... I was scared," he said it softly, barely audible, like it was something he shouldn't have been saying. "Teddy I was so scared. I've never been that scared before. I thought I was gonna die."  
  
"I know," Teddy's voice shook a bit to match James’, "but you did great, Jamie. You know that, right? We managed to round the majority of them up, and you're alive."  
  
"I am," James laughed through a sob, "I am alive."  
  
"Bill said you should be back to normal after a few months of recovery," Teddy revealed. "Stick with it and you'll be back with the Aurors soon."  
  
James nodded, not protesting as Teddy wiped his tears. "Will you come back?" he asked, "Would my dad give you back, do you think?"  
  
Teddy just sighed. "I don't know, Jamie. I'm still not entirely sure why they pulled me out in the first place. The Minister keeps saying it's training, but I have no clue what that means."  
  
James seemed to sulk at that, turning his head enough to steal one last kiss against Teddy's fingers before pulling away and scrubbing the rest of his tears from his face, the door opening behind Teddy, who quickly swept away his own tears and sat back, though not standing. James needed his support right now, so Teddy was going to stay.  
  
When Teddy looked over his shoulder, he caught Harry's eye, quickly turning his head away anxiously as Albus stopped at the foot of the bed. The weird root was cleaned and peeled, and even Teddy could smell the bitter scent.  
  
"Tada! I have no idea what this is, but the head healer seemed happy when I showed it to him. Some kind of root from a magical plant we add to healing tonics. Said to chew it."  
  
"Raw?" James' nose wrinkled, thinking of the horrible taste of the medicine that had been forced into his throat the day before. Tonics and potions had been poured down his throat for the past day, he could still taste the remnants, and now Albus had more bloody medicine.  
  
"Yea." Albus tossed the root at James, and it hit him in the chest before landing on his lap. "You were supposed to catch that."  
  
"Mate, I can't feel my arm."  
  
"Here." Teddy took the root and started to peel off a piece, which James made a look at when it was offered to him. "Chew it, but don't eat it."  
  
"Do I have to?" James looked miserable, and Teddy nodded firmly, so he sighed and took the medicine with his right hand, sniffing it before sticking it between his lips.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Harry asked, stopping at the foot of the bed as Albus wandered over to the seat on James' left where Teddy had been previously sitting. "In any pain? Hungry?"  
  
James nodded slowly. "I can't feel my arm or my hand, but my shoulder hurts. I'm kind of hungry."  
  
"That's why that root comes in handy," Albus pointed out. "You can't take in solid food right now, so that root is supposed to fake out your stomach."  
  
"I'll tell you if it starts working," James grumbled, chewing a corner of the root cautiously.  
  
"I know you're probably feeling unwell—"  
  
"I got mauled by a werewolf, dad."  
  
Harry winced and locked his jaw. "I needed to ask what happened so I can relay the report to the head Auror. I'd rather contain visitors for now so you can rest without excitement, so I won't be inviting him here."  
  
"Fine," James mumbled against the root, head bowed. "What happened then..."  
  
"Yes," Harry glanced at Teddy, who didn't turn to look at him, but his arms were folded and his posture was tight and unhappy.  
  
The question had to be asked, there was no getting around it, even if it annoyed Teddy. James was awake, coherent, and the pain subdued enough that he could think, so it was the perfect time to ask him what happened. If Teddy thought this was Harry being inconsiderate of his own son's situation...  
  
"Okay." James pulled the root from his mouth. "I don't think my head's messed any of it up, so let me just think. It was really marshy so we had to be careful where we stepped. There was a grove of trees we were walking towards, scanning the ground for signs of the Red Caps that had been causing problems. I told Willer to watch my back in case something came at us, had him stand behind me to hold anything back, but..." his nose wrinkled and his hand curled into a fist. "Considering I got hit from behind. I was looking for Red Caps and suddenly it felt like my shoulder was on fire, and I was facedown on the ground."  
  
"What happened with Willer?" Harry asked slowly, cautiously, and James lifted the root to chew on, looking frustrated.  
  
"Saw I was down and booked it," he mumbled. "Took one look and seemed to decide it wasn't worth it, so he left me there."  
  
Teddy turned finally, looking at Harry. "Told you."  
  
Harry just frowned. "Willer is the one who told the Ministry what happened. Said there were werewolves."  
  
"How thoughtful of him to tell you where to find my bloody body." James threw the mangled root to the foot of the bed, reaching over to cling to his elbow and leaning forward, head bowed and staring at his lap without really seeing it. "They were going to kill me. They saw my ID— I thought it would buy me time, but they saw my name and... they were going to tear me to pieces for you to find, dad. For Greyback, that's what they said. I got lucky. I got really lucky. If Teddy was just half a second later I'd have been dead. One of them was halfway through the killing curse when Teddy stunned him."  
  
It was so disturbing, to remember just how close James had been to death. It was... really horrifying. Part of him wondered why he'd been worried, though. Teddy got there just in time. If James was anything, he certainly wasn't helpless, he wasn't a damsel, he could handle himself in a duel or a fight and get out through the other side with minimal damage, but for those times when he just couldn't do it, Teddy had his back. Always had, always would, and James trusted he'd come to help, no matter how they'd been separated, how far apart they were.  
  
He lifted his head to smile at Teddy. "Thank you. Did I say that yet? Thank you for saving me?"  
  
Teddy just smiled weakly at him in return. "Always will, Jamie. If you need me to."  
  
"Well maybe if my very intelligent father changes my partner," James tilted his head and gave Harry a pointed look, "I won't have to be rescued again."  
  
Harry thinned his lips. "Teddy won't be returning as your partner," he said, and James flopped back with a grunt, wincing. "There's a reason the Minister pulled him in for different assignments."  
  
"Shouldn't I know what the reason is?" Teddy asked. "Considering it's about me?"  
  
"Regardless of what you think, I didn't separate you to spite you or your relationship," Harry corrected. "I'm just considering your career."  
  
"Shouldn't my career be my decision?" Teddy looked baffled, and Harry sighed.  
  
"It is your decision. This is just a trial, you won't be the only one to go through it. An additional internship and training. A viable candidate is chosen from every section of the Ministry through careful selection of experience and intelligence tested through past NEWT results as well as documented reports through the course of their career. Depending on what you choose, at the end of the course you can return to the field."  
  
"What other decision would I be given?" Teddy asked in exasperation. "What else would I care about?"  
  
Harry opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted when the door opened for Ginny, Lily, Bill, and a healer, so he opted to step back and just not answer.  
  
"He needs to rest now," the healer said, holding James' wrist to check his pulse. "Too much excitement for him, his heart rate is too high. I want most of you out of the room. Mr. Lupin and Mr. Weasley, I'd like you both to stay, you've experience with this sort of injury, so you could prove useful to his recovery."  
  
Teddy tried not to feel too happy about that verdict and wisely kept his eyes off Harry as the healer flashed a light into James' eyes before adjusting the sling cradling his arm.  
  
"The fever is still peaking I'm afraid, it'll get worse before it gets better, but as soon as it breaks you'll be out of the woods. All that will be left is your arm. We've stopped the bleeding and sealed the wounds, but the scarring is rather extensive and will likely cause you some problems in the future, especially as you age. Take the necessary precautions and you should learn to manage it."  
  
James nodded like he was on autopilot, not speaking verbally or even letting out noises of discomfort when he was clearly hurting by something the healer did. Teddy would see his face pinch up and lose a bit of color so the freckles on his cheeks would glare, but he wouldn't complain about the pain.  
  
Teddy had been lucky not to inherit his father's Lycanthropy, so he could only understand what James was going through sympathetically from intense research and experience helping other mauling victims. Bill, on the other hand, had an empathetic gleam in his eyes, understanding every twitch and jerk that James showed.  
  
This couldn't have been easy for James. Sure, werewolves weren't as condemned and shamed as they had been in the past, but stamping out prejudice and bias entirely was impossible. First, James had to deal with a difficult recovery, learn to live with a disease that would leave him with disfiguring scars and a constant ache that may very well get in the way of his work in the future.  
  
Then, he'd have to learn to live with the looks. Luckily, the scarring was on his back and shoulder, easily hidden by shirts and cloaks, and if James didn't straight out tell people he was a Partial, then they'd probably never know, but what kind of effect would that have on his mind? To have this secret he didn't feel comfortable telling anyone for fear of rejection?  
  
Beyond that, he'd have to live with the trauma. When you're attacked and mauled by a dark creature, you don't just brush it off. For all Teddy understood, Bill was quite the same after his attack, which said a lot about his courage and character, but even Fleur would say he had nightmares about Fenrir Greyback sometimes. Not necessarily about the man coming back for him, but coming for his children, his family. That said more to Bill's character, Teddy thought. That he'd happily take the scars and the disease if it meant the people he loved didn't have to suffer the same.  
  
Yet here his nephew was, sharing scars with him.  
  
As soon as the pain stopped, Teddy could practically already see how James would act. Exactly the same as he always had. James Sirius Potter who still played pranks even though he worked as an Auror in the Ministry, who made childish jokes but could still be honestly sincere. Fierce but gentle, with freckles that lit up when he smiled big enough, and he _always_ smiled big enough. James Sirius Potter who wore his heart on his sleeve and held grudges over Teddy taking the last bagel but would probably forgive Tanner Willer the moment they met again. James Sirius Potter who was too perfect in too many ways and got so much shit for it because he wasn't a mirror of his father like the wizarding world wanted him to be.  
  
Things would change though, Teddy knew it, because he knew James better than anyone. He was brave and stupid and strong, but his heart of gold was soft. He would die before blaming anyone for his situation, but that would never stop him from unconsciously flinching away from people, or not wanting anyone to stand behind him, because he would want to be able to see people face to face, not trusting them to watch his back. Not anymore. Trauma could be predictable that way.  
  
"I'm done for now." The healer stepped away finally. "I'll come by later to redress the scars."  
  
"I'm kind of hungry," James admitted, rubbing his shoulder. "Am I allowed to eat?" The healer picked up the root that Teddy had set aside, and James made a face. "When can I eat real food?"  
  
"When your fever breaks." The healer set the stupid root back down, and James glared at it. "With the infection going through you, eating anything would just make you sicker. Soon as your fever breaks, you'll be permitted to eat chicken broth. Until then, usually you'd have nothing aside from water and medicine, but that root should keep you from feeling like you're starving."  
  
"Gee, thanks."  
  
"It's best if he sleeps through it," the healer said to Ginny, Harry, and Bill as they walked towards the door, head bowed and voice incredibly low, Teddy wouldn't have been able to hear it if he'd been entirely average. "The pain is subdued, but the scarring was deep. He's incredibly lucky he was treated with dittany and silver so soon, otherwise there could have been entirely new problems. They take up a good portion of his back. Walking won't be easy, and moving his arm again will take therapy and patience. Does he live alone?"  
  
"He has a flat near the Ministry," Ginny answered in an equally hushed tone.  
  
"Once he's cleared here, he may need some assistance getting on at home. He's an Auror, correct?"  
  
"Yea."  
  
"I insist you discuss medical leave with the Minister, at least for a few months until he's up on his feet again—"  
  
Teddy stopped listening then, turning to look towards the bed where James was staring blankly at his lap. He stepped closer and took a seat on the edge of the bed to get his attention.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I can hear them," James muttered, nose wrinkling, looking over at the door as it shut so the four could talk outside.  
  
Albus and Lily had wandered off when the healer first came into the room, something about the cafeteria, so Teddy was alone with James as the latter frowned at the sheets in defeat.  
  
"Guess all I can do is be patient."  
  
"You'll be on your feet in no time, Jamie."  
  
James just sighed, slowly leaning back with a slight wince as he settled against all the pillows, sinking into them before sighing a second time once he'd gotten into a comfortable position. He was still propped up a bit, half sitting and half lying down to elevate his damaged shoulder. He stared up at the ceiling for a long time, holding his elbow with his right hand. Teddy stayed next to him, watching him intently, feeling like James just needed to talk, if given enough time to prepare.  
  
"Does this change anything?" he asked, and it certainly wasn't what Teddy had been expecting to hear.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Look at me, Ted," James muttered, lifting his right hand to stare up at it. "This isn't exactly what I had planned. I was fine yesterday and now I have these issues. That healer said I was going to need bloody assistance, like I'm a child who can't wipe his own nose."  
  
"Needing a bit of help isn't shameful, you know. It's just until you've recovered."  
  
"Teddy, I went from independent to helpless overnight. This sucks."  
  
"I know it does, Jamie."  
  
"I don't want my mum and dad around my flat trying to help me in and out of the shower! Trying to help me get dressed! I'll be fine on my own."  
  
"It's just for a few months, Jamie. I'll help too, you know. I'll be there every step of the way."  
  
James seemed to sink deeper, frowning. "You don't have to go out of your way to do that, Teds. I don't want you putting your life on hold while I'm trying to put myself back together."  
  
"Jamie, you—" Teddy stopped himself, staring at James and contemplating whether or not to continue.  
  
James looked so defeated, like he was really giving everything up. His position at the Ministry, even his place with Teddy. He wouldn't do that, would he? Teddy could see the start of a breakup at the corners of James' eyes, but would he really say those words, after telling Teddy they were soul mates? It seemed like the kind of stupid thing he would do, actually. To sacrifice his relationship with Teddy in order to save him from some kind of burden. This fucking fool... months of dating and he actually believed Teddy would feel inconvenienced at taking care of him?  
  
"Listen, Ted—"  
  
"I love you."  
  
James froze, his entire body grew taught, eyes still locked on the ceiling and growing wider, pale cheeks filling with red that made his freckles look like specks of cinnamon.  
  
"Wh— huh?"  
  
"I love you," Teddy repeated, suddenly very aware that he'd never said that to James before.  
  
Or sure, maybe he had, when they were younger and James was just a kid who followed him everywhere and cried when Teddy had to go home, hugging him around the waist and begging him to stay, but that was a different kind of love.  
  
That love was for a kid who looked up to him, the son of his godfather who he respected so much. Love for a boy who was nothing more than always behind him, waiting for him to turn around and smile back.  
  
It took so long for Teddy to realize he'd fallen in love with him, and even longer to accept it. He much preferred James standing next to him, rather than following at his heels hoping for something to happen.  
  
Teddy used to say "I love you" to the boy at his back. Now he wanted to say "I love you" to the man he wanted to stay by his side. It was the first time he'd said it, really looked at James and said it, since they started going out, and by James' reaction, he could definitely tell there was something different in his voice when he confessed it.  
  
The last thing he'd expected was for James to adjust the way his head was lying so he could look at Teddy. "I know you do, Teddy."  
  
"Clearly you don't." And Teddy reached out to hold James' face between his hands, moving closer and leaning in to kiss him.  
  
Teddy and James knew each other through slow, chaste kisses, warm lips brushing and smiling against each other, giggling because they couldn't take each other seriously, but James never knew Teddy could kiss like this. He almost couldn't breathe as Teddy leaned into him, though the only connection of their bodies was Teddy's hands on his face and their lips locked together.  
  
Teddy was taller than James, his body seemed to cover him, envelop him, and for the first time since he'd been struck down, he felt warm and genuinely safe. After remembering he could breathe through his nose, the kiss became more pleasant, James felt himself inexplicably tilting his head to the side so their lips could fit together easier, his one good hand reaching up around Teddy to bury into his hair. Every time he breathed in, he could smell Teddy: chocolate, leather, spice, his cucumber shampoo, the earth after a rainstorm, a forest of pine trees. Teddy smelt like home, and suddenly the scars on his back didn't ache so bad.  
  
Their lips slowly parted and James opened his eyes in surprise, his breath hitching, because Teddy was still so close, and his eyes were a pale amber, gold with hints of green, that he never let people see. His hair was a soft tawny brown, and James swallowed hard, because while Teddy looked attractive no matter what he portrayed his hair, he was never more handsome than when he was showing his vulnerability in front of James.  
  
Whenever Teddy showed himself like this, those rare times when he let himself go and just be himself, he looked like something taken from a movie, a raw, natural, classic kind of handsome that you didn't really see anymore.  
  
Sure, Teddy was a catch with turquoise hair, and he was literally the coolest Auror they had at the Ministry without considering his talent at magic, but it was almost a tragedy worthy of punishment that he never let any eyes see him like this. Then again, James had a sinking in his stomach that said if he did ever show this side of him to anyone other than James, he'd have to hex some people.  
  
"I love you," Teddy said it a third time, and James felt his cheeks grow even hotter, "and this changes absolutely nothing. Honestly, James. Don't you know who I am? My father was a werewolf, my mother didn't give a damn about it, and neither do I. You're only a Partial as it is, and you know what, even if you weren't, even if you'd been bit, I'd still love you. You're going to struggle for a long time to get over this, and you're going to need help through it, you'll have to set aside your independence and _accept_ help, and you know what? I'd take it as a personal insult if you didn't insist I be the one to stay by your side the entire time. If you can't be vulnerable in front of your parents through this, then at least be vulnerable in front of me."  
  
James didn't look as stunned as he had expected. His expression was sleepy but pleased, a smile on his lips. His hand was still buried in Teddy's hair, idly pushing it behind his ear and brushing his bangs aside to see his eyes better as he tried to memorize his face.  
  
"In the end, I doubt I'll have a choice," James admitted, "but if I can at least choose who helps me through it all, and you really don't mind..."  
  
"I don't," Teddy assured, and James laughed.  
  
"Course you don't."  
  
"I'm staying with you," Teddy said firmly, and James felt himself relax into the pillows behind him.  
  
"Okay, okay."  
  
"Not gonna fight me on it?"  
  
"No, I'm kind of tired. I'll fight you about it later when I'm more awake." James grinned, proving it a promise, and Teddy smiled with all the love he could muster.  
  
James hesitated a moment, looking sheepish, which was a stark contrast compared to his usual confident self.  
  
"You know... you know I love you too, right? I mean really love you."  
  
"You make it clear as day that you love me," Teddy promised. "I'm the one who needs to say it more often."  
  
James just chuckled. "Don't worry, okay? Having trouble saying it makes it more special when you do."  
  
"Yea?"  
  
"Yea."  
  
"I'll try to say it less often then."  
  
"Well I didn't mean it like that."  
  
"You should sleep."  
  
"I probably should, huh?" James closed his eyes when Teddy ran a thumb down his cheek. "Hey, let's go do something when I'm better."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"I don't know. Vacation. Somewhere."  
  
"Just us?"  
  
"Yea. Paris or something. Maybe further than that. Yea. Spain. Let's go to Spain."  
  
Teddy was grinning, unable to help it, nodding even though James had his eyes closed and couldn't see.  
  
"Yea. Let's go to Spain. Soon as you're cleared and recovered. It'll be good to get away, it'll help you heal. You know I hear Spain is one of the happiest countries in the world because of all the sun it gets?"  
  
"Is it true?"  
  
"Probably not, I don't believe in the concept that weather can control someone's mood. You have a smile on your face whether it's sunny or raining or anything else."  
  
"Spain then."  
  
"Yea."  
  
Teddy stopped talking after that, watching James intently as his breathing evened out in sleep. He reached out to brush aside the brown bangs hanging in his face, tucking it back before testing his fingers against James' fevered forehead, then sitting back.  
  
It took him longer than he'd care to admit before he realized there was someone else in the room, jerking around at the waist to see Bill standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded.  
  
"B—"  
  
"How's he doing?" Bill asked, and Teddy really didn't like his grin.  
  
"Uh, he just fell asleep."  
  
"Good, he needs it."  
  
"Right." Teddy watched him step into the room and shut the door. "H-how long were you standing there?"  
  
Bill dragged a chair closer and dropped into it. "Well, longer than Harry."  
  
Teddy felt his face pale with his hair, dropping his face into his hands. "Oh, Merlin, kill me."  
  
Bill laughed. "Teddy, listen to me for a minute." Teddy dragged his hands down his face so he could glance over at the oldest Weasley. "Harry is protective, but it's because of how much he's lost, sacrificed, or simply never had. He loves his son more than life, but he loves you too. You're special to him, Teddy, and maybe his son takes precedence when it comes to you and him dating, but that doesn't mean he loves you any less, alright? He doesn't hate you, he just needs more time to adjust to the reality that just because you love James, doesn't mean you're stealing him, or the other way around. Nothing has changed with your relationship other than how you show affection for each other. You're special. So is James. Harry'll come around. Promise."  
  
This was exactly why Teddy liked Bill so much, because no matter how low or anxious he felt, the man just seemed to know the perfect thing to say.  
  
He nodded in agreement. "Thank you."  
  
"Of course, Ted." Bill squeezed his shoulder before leaning back, folding his arms. "Although, just because he loves you, doesn't mean he's not afraid to beat your arse, so maybe hold back snogging in front if him until he's calmed down."  
  
Bill burst into laughter after relaying the warning, and Teddy felt himself starting to melt in absolute horror. One of these days he'd get used to it, because he wouldn't give up James for anything, but now? Right now, the only comfort from Bill's amused laughter was to turn and watch James as he slept, trying to imagine the vacation to Spain they would have as soon as James was well enough.  
  
Alone on a Spanish beach somewhere with nothing but the sun and the sea to spy them kissing.  
  
That sounded like a fine end to Teddy.


End file.
